Nwa Aro,
I hope these are the links that you are refering to.

This is a great topic. With all due respect to Nwachukwu (General of the Nigerian Army), and he is an eloquent speaker for himself. But, Nwachukwu is exactly the type of Igbo that we must prevent from representing Igbos as a people. During the watershed event in Igbo history, the Biafran war, Ike Nwachukwu fought the war on the side of the enemy. His excuse may have been that his mother was/is Hausa-Fulani. Nwachukwu failed to zaa aha nna ya. Nwachukwu has benefited immensely from his role as a traitor at the Igbo people's worst hour. That should be enough reward for him. He only cried foul when his Hausa-Fulani relatives and benefactors decided that he was still too Igbo to be trusted. To the best of my knowledge, Nwachukwu has not asked for forgiveness and we should not be pushing people to the fore who have not paid their dues to Igbos.

Why are Igbos afraid to insist on Ojukwu as their choice? Afterall, Ojukwu is no longer actively canvassing Biafra and Ojukwu's "Nigeria" credentials are far superior to those of secessionists, Gowon and Murtala Muhamed, who first sought to break the North away from BiafraNigeria (not anachronistic?). We may not know who should represent Igbos, but we know who should NOT. Nwachukwu.

I see where both of you are coming from, Ike Nwachukwu stock may be rising because of his Hausa Fulani herritage and connection. The Hausa-fulani North may feel about him the same way they felt about Obasanjo. That is why he may eclipes Oji Kalu. As far as I am concern Igbos have only one truely tested Leader, and he is non other than DIM Ojukwu. A man who have paid his dues to both Biafra and Nigeria, a man who have kept his cool under pressure. Educationwise he is more than qualified, Some of you need to here this man speak oyibo language. Nigeria will be respected worldwide when this man speaks in international forum. You will not hear him say go to hell as the best English from his mouth.

Having said all that I think I am going to agree with osetutu on this one. That Nigerians are still scared of Ojukwu and Biafra due to constant missinformation about biafra and Ojukwu by the likes of Obasanjo. They will not vote for him, however unlike Obasanjo Ojukwu will sweep all the votes in all Igbo speaking areas of Nigeria. Even some of our brothers from River state and Bayelsa are coming to Ojukwu side of things now.

Now on the topic at hand, we know for sure that Ike Nwachukwu was a total sell out to the Biafrans in that genocidal war. We don't recall that he has atoned for it. With that in mind, he certainly is most unqualified to represent the Igbos in 2003. Do we send a wolf to guard the Sheep?

I'm not enthusiastic about 2003 election. However, our participation should not be an obstacle that will derail us from our Biafra actualization objective. Rather it should be a contributory means to achieve our aim.

The Igbo presidency talk requires more than mock heroism. None has ever thought of Igbos outside Igbo core-states? Why? How about Nduka Irabor, Sunny Odogwu, Peter Odili and others? We have to think beyond our narrow confines. For too long, other Igbos have not been factored into the disarrayed Igbo equation. This is the bitter truth, if we do not, we are just blaring horns with deaf, that is we are in a cyclical noise jabbing jamboree. The end result being ground zero!

You hit the nail on the head, I strongly believe that we have to bring our brothers and sisters displaced to other non Igbo state because of Oil home Where they blong. I do also agree that we have to look outside the confine of present southeast zone to find a well seasoned Igbo of Biafran Herritage. Even though Peter Odili is our inlaw his wife is from Mbaise I am not too sure where he stand on core Igbo issues.

I do think that we may be better off looking toward Asaba to find a hard core Biafrans, Because that Area of Igbo was with us through the hard time. Many of the Brave Biafran soldiers came from that area. People like Major Nwawo, Colonel Achuzie, Nzegwu and many others who shed their Blood for Biafra we should not fail to recognize their contribution. I say before we consider those sabo who abandoned us during the war like Ike Nwachukwu. lets support our brothers who fought with us, They have been tested in Biafran battle.

Back to the topic. I do not know much about Odogwu's credentials, as much as I do not know about Orji Kalu's. My drive was we should lay out the detail credentials of any Ibo for the presidency. From there, we can then place them side by side, and form an objective opinion. These rantings about Kalu are rather subjective, and based on noise-making profile, which he has acquired in the last two years. Noise-making is not the sole criteria for fishing out a presidential material.

sorry for the miss understanding, I didn't mean that those our brothers are not home where they are. However my point is how those Igbos are minority in certain states. I guess what I am agaitating for is in short an Anioma state which will give us additional Igbo state. take Egbema for example see how that town was divided by Gowon one half of Egbema is in River state and one half is in Imo. that shouldn't happen.

From Chris Oji, Enugu

EVEN before its birth, the idea of a presidential ambition by Senator Ike
Nwachukwu has been killed.

The idea was mooted by the Odenigbo Cultural Association, which nominated
Senator Nwachukwu as the Igbo candidate for the 2003 presidential election.

But the apex Igbo cultural association, the Ohaneze-Ndigbo, rose yesterday
from an emergency meeting in Enugu with a tacit disapproval of the Odenigbo
nomination of the retired general, saying it did not reflect the opinion of
Ohaneze since Odenigbo had no power to take a decision for Ndigbo.

Ohaneze, the pan-Igbo association, which articulates the views of the Igbo
on national issues, said that it had not picked any candidate for the
presidential race although it reaffirmed its desire to produce the next
president after Obasanjo.

At the meeting, which was well-attended, were Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Justice
Eze Ozobu, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Prof. Ben Nwabueze,
Dr. Slyvester Ugoh and the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, the Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze,
Chief H.B.C. Ogboko, said the meeting was to discuss modalities for a
national conference, and would not receive the support of Ohaneze if it went
beyond that frame work.

He disclosed that a delegation of the association would represent Ndigbo at
the crucial meeting of cultural organisations from the six geo-political
zones on April 3 at Abuja.

According to him, the Ohaneze was emphatic that if any other thing, besides
working out the modalities for the meeting comes up, it would not be part of
it.

Ogboko also announced the setting up of eight technical committees to
prepare position papers for a "crucial" seminar billed for May 10 and 11.

The seminar, which is to deal with various aspects of needs of the Igbo,
would precede another Igbo summit planned for November.

Dr. Alex Ekwueme is the chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Dr.
Paschal Dozie, Chairman, Commerce and Industry Committee, Prof. Barthlomew
Nnaji, Economic and Commerce, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, Education and
Information Technology, Chief Martin Elechi, Cultural and Value System of
Ndigbo and Senator Francis Ellah, Agriculture and Environment.

Others are: Chief Sonny Odogwu, Linkage with Igbo in the diaspora and Prof.
Joe Irukwu, Health and Insurance. A new committee for Oil and Gas was
approved with its members yet to be constituted.

Ohaneze also dismissed the allegations levelled against MASSOB as baseless
and frivolous. The allegations, it said, include that MASSOB had printed
Biafran currency and trained soldiers.

The association supports MASSOB in its struggle against the marginalisation
of Ndigbo but does not share its views on the rebirth of a sovereign Biafran
State.

In the posting by Osetutu on Ohaneze, I noticed that Sonny Odogwu is the only name from Delta Ibo? One wonders what is going on in the thinking of so-called core Ibos? By the way I am from Delta should in case anyone is wondering why my fanaticism. I am in a better position to see through the constant ignoring of other Ibos. I wait to see when core Ibos will pitch their tent with other Ibos on the periphery.

All:
On a second thought, I think with the sagacity displayed on the various websites by Ibo brothers and sisters, they should step out to be counted in the presidential race. I have read where my brother Biafra is contesting for an election on this Messageboard, why can't him step out, rather than suggest names of people whose motives we do not know. At least some on this Board know the direction Ibos should take. So lets do the dirty job ourselves and not pass the buck to others. Let us lead by example.

Your gripe is misplaced as none of the above mentioned names have been endorsed on stone. Instead of self defeating insults and complains about them, you should rather list your favorite candidates and their accolades of patriotic achievements. Perhaps that could endear the people to your choice candidates.
Know that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Well said. It seems that Chuba is seeking to create divisions, where none exist. Igbos on both sides of the River Niger or Benue are one and the same people. An Igbo is an Igbo. It is only the enemies of Igbos that seek to create idiotic (infantile) divisions, and Chuba is naively playing into the hands of those Igbo-haters who play those games. When Nzeogwu from across the Niger planned a coup, did Igbos as a Nation not subsequently suffer a pogrom and genocide along with the so-called ika-Igbos. Did we not go to war in the aftermath as a united people? An Igbo is an Igbo.

Thank you for your eloquent rendition of our strategy. I do completely agree with every body that an Igbo is an Igbo whether west of Niger or East of Niger. To my brother Osita Chuba there is nothing like hard core or soft core Igbo. People of Onitsha share many attributes with people of Asaba so is people of Owerri or Aba. So I don't see any hard core or soft core. Take your name for example once someone mention Osita chuba people will know that you are Igbo Right away. Osita Osadebe or Nnamdi doesn't say you are hard or soft core Igbo, those are all Igbo names.

Now Brother Nwa Aro Your Two names I only like one that of Ebitu Ikiwe. As for Emeka Anyaoku as much as he have earned International recognition he is in the same mold with Ike Nwachukwu. Anyaoku was with the vandals like Asika during the war.
So he has to atone for that an Apologize before we can support him. Bro Osita I think you have something here on Sunny Odogwu he may be the dark horse in this whole thing. He will be acceptable in the North and South South and of course he will sweep southeast. I think you should promote him more just like Kalu people are doing. So Brother this is not the time to be pointing fingers.

As of now, Kalu is the only man standing tall to that occasion. I will follow him for many reasons. Among them: At the World Igbo Congress Convention held sometime ago in Dallas, Kalu came out boldly and offered to host Igbo conventions in the future. He encouraged Igbos to stay together and fight their enemies. He refused to be another rubber stamp of Obasanjo, as we saw in Evan Enwerem, Jim Nwobodo, and even recently Pius Anyim. He renounced Obasanjo's rhetorics and hate-mongering gestures and called upon Igbos from all walks of life to come home, to Umuahia, and rebury her kith and kin who perished during the civil war. This was after the traitor Mbadinuju had kow-towed to Uncle Sege's orders. He (Kalu) should be commended for such brevity.

Amanda Weekson:
I agree that the names mentioned by Nwa Aro has not been cast in stone. My point is if we are debating names, we should state their achievements, credentials etc, and not use the metaphorical 'noise' as a barometer, which is being used right now about Orji Kalu.

Dikeanatuegwu:
What do you mean by curing them of their 'nigeria-ties'? The idea that some of us live on an illusionary plane is getting real by the day. What assures you that anyone of us is more I(g)bo than the other? Brother get real. Let us discuss the point in question without filling ourselves with air.

All:
The first Biafra was not an I(g)bo state alone? How about the Ijaws, Efiks, Ibibio etc in the former Eastern region? I am getting perplexed by the day about the thinking of some of the brothers here.

Mr. Chuba: